


Captain

by aiwritingfic



Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-26
Updated: 2014-01-26
Packaged: 2018-01-10 02:14:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,277
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1153553
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aiwritingfic/pseuds/aiwritingfic
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kasamatsu pulls away from Kaijou too early.  Kise pulls him back.  One-sided KiKasa if you squint.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Captain

Kasamatsu Yukio didn't like throwing his weight around, but freshmen--especially freshmen that thought of themselves as superstars--needed to know their place. Most especially freshmen that had been courted as superstars. 

Luckily for Kasamatsu, Kise settled down after the first day. He showed up to practices, always asked for permission if practice clashed with modeling gigs, and if he was showier and flashier than any freshman had any right to be, he was also far more skilled than any freshman had any right to be, and he didn't go out of his way to cause trouble. When he _did_ forget his place, Kasamatsu just smacked him down again, and Kise took discipline tolerably well. For a superstar from the Generation of Miracles, Kaijou had done all right getting Kise Ryouta. 

Not that it had helped them get to the Winter Cup. 

Kasamatsu sighed. Best four, did not place. He'd wanted so badly to make up for his mistake last year. Kaijou had done everything right. They'd worked hard, they'd taken nothing for granted--thanks to Seirin--and they'd given everything they had. More than everything they had. 

They had nothing to be ashamed of. Kaijou was the fourth-ranked team in Japan, after all. The furthest the team had gotten, and certainly further than last year's team had been expected to get, even excluding Kasamatsu's mistake. Not too shabby, all things considered. 

He still felt like a failure. 

"Senpai? Wake up, hello, anyone home?" 

Kasamatsu snapped back to an empty locker room and Kise, back in school uniform, waving his hand in front of Kasamatsu's face. Somehow, he'd missed everyone else leaving. "Everyone's gone," Kasamatsu said, then kicked himself for stating the obvious. "Why are you still here?"

Kise shrugged. "I took my time."

Kasamatsu grabbed his bag, checked that it was zipped, and took a last look at his locker to make sure he hadn't forgotten anything. He paused, staring at the emptiness. Three years. It still smelled right, even if it didn't look right. 

But it wasn't his any more.

"All right, I'm going, I'm going," Kasamatsu said, closing the locker door quietly. He turned, giving it one last look, and then walked out to join Kise, who was already in the hallway. Kasamatsu locked the door; he'd drop the key off with Takeuchi-sensei tomorrow.

Thus ended Kasamatsu Yukio's high school basketball career.

* * *

As they strolled towards the train station, Kise said, "That looked pretty final. Aren't you coming back to visit sometimes?"

"It's better if I don't." Kasamatsu scratched the back of his neck--his scarf was itchy. "Nakamura will do better without the spectre of me hanging over him."

"He has some pretty big shoes to fill."

"He'll do fine. He's got the makings of a good captain in him." 

"Yeah, you're probably right." Kise stretched and fell silent.

They walked in silence for a block.

Kise said, "Moriyama-senpai is planning _goukons_ for the club, third-years included."

With the exception of Kise, Kaijou's basketball club was surprisingly bad at anything to do with females; they couldn't even attract female managers. Moriyama hadn't stopped trying to get Kise to introduce him to girls since Kise joined. Kasamatsu didn't have to look at Kise to imagine the expression on Kise's face. "Don't let him make you bring the girls. Moriyama can do his own dirty work." Kasamatsu listened to Kise's footsteps, perfectly in time with his own. He wondered if Kise was copying him, but discarded the thought. It wasn't worth asking. 

Kise looked up at the cloudless evening sky. "Why am I the only one you hit?"

Kasamatsu stumbled at the abrupt change of topic. "What?" 

"When we mess up, you yell at the others. I'm the only one you also hit." 

Kasamatsu had to think back. "I don't just hit you. Hayakawa--"

"Okay, yeah, but everyone hits Hayakawa-senpai, so he doesn't count," Kise said. "You're the only person who hits me."

"Maybe it's because those guys are hopeless and you're not." This was getting on his nerves. Kasamatsu could feel a migraine coming on. "Or maybe it's because you're learning-deficient and I have to beat it into you." 

"Ow. That was mean," Kise said. 

Kasamatsu had seen Kise's kicked-puppy face too many times for it to affect him. "Then stop making me say mean things to you." He quickened his pace; the train station was just around the corner. "Crap. There's my train." He started to run. 

"See you around!" Kise called.

"Sure," Kasamatsu replied, tapping himself through the gates and sprinting down the stairs. He made it through the train doors as they closed. As the train pulled out, he watched Kise going down the steps. Their eyes met. Kasamatsu broke the gaze and wondered why it felt like he was running away.

* * *

School didn't end just because basketball season did, but to Kasamatsu it felt like he was just going through the motions. He kicked himself mentally for the umpteenth time. He was only eighteen and still in the prime of his youth. He was going to university (hell yeah he was, he'd been studying too hard to fail the exams) and he was going to play basketball in university. The only thing that was over was his captaincy of Kaijou's basketball team. 

He mulled over it as he changed his shoes and headed for the gates. He'd never been the kind of guy who went after things like personal titles and positions. Why was it bothering him that he wasn't Kaijou's captain any more? Because the job was left undone? There was nothing he could do about that now, and Kasamatsu had never had problems living with the consequences of his actions. This didn't feel like the same thing.

"So, Captain," someone said, falling into step beside him.

Kasamatsu looked up to see Kise. "I told you, I'm not the captain any more." Kasamatsu said. 

"But calling you Kasamatsu-senpai's a real mouthful."

"Yeah, well, it's my name. Deal with it." 

"Yes, sir," Kise said, saluting.

Kasamatsu sighed; he hadn't meant to snap. "Sorry. Old habits die hard."

Kise shrugged. "It's okay." 

Kasamatsu pulled his coat tighter, caught a glance at his watch, and remembered what day it was. "Don't you have practice?"

"Nakamura-senpai gave me the day off. He said Coach told him that I absolutely wasn't allowed to play for the rest of the week."

That reminded him. "Is your leg still bothering you?"

"I'm fine. Coach's just being over-protective. He sat me out of the Shuutoku match even when it counted." 

"A player like you doesn't appear often," Kasamatsu said. "None of us want you to burn out or lose you to a chronic injury."

"So everyone keeps telling me. 'A player like me,'" Kise echoed. "I guess that's my identity."

What was that all about? "I told you. You're our ace. You're going to lead Kaijou to victory next year. Don't forget that."

"I haven't forgotten, but is that all I am?"

Oh. Well, that was one question answered, at least. Kasamatsu sighed again. He'd heard star players got like this sometimes especially after a loss, and Kise had admitted he'd never known defeat before playing at Kaijou. Mood or no mood, this was something that needed to be taken care of. Nakamura had better thank Kasamatsu for this. "If you don't have practice, let's get something to eat."

* * *

They settled at a table with their usual order. Kasamatsu had watched Kise carefully throughout the interaction, but Kise had been his usual charming self with the girl at the counter. Whatever it was, maybe it wasn't as bad as he'd thought. He sipped at his drink. "What's up?"

"Nothing," Kise said, taking a bit of his burger. 

Kasamatsu was used to charming-evasive Kise, fired-up Kise, determined Kise. This can't-meet-his-eyes Kise was one he hadn't seen before. Come to think of it, Kise didn't really have any friends outside of the basketball team, and even on the team, Kasamatsu was the one Kise was closest to. Kise didn't seem that close to any of his former teammates, with the exception of Number Eleven from Seirin--Kurokocchi, Kise called him. 

Kasamatsu got the feeling this probably wasn't something Kise could speak to Kuroko about. He took a bit of his own burger, chewing slowly. What was that Kise had said that had made him feel uneasy? Kasamatsu said, "You know, you're a pretty awesome guy. I'm jealous of you."

"Told you I was better than you," Kise said. 

Kasamatsu's eyebrow twitched involuntarily. "Dammit, Kise." He reached over the table and smacked Kise's head.

"Geez, captain, that hurt," Kise said, rubbing his head and making puppy eyes at Kasamatsu.

Their last conversation came back to Kasamatsu in a flash. He leaned back with a deep sigh and looked up at the ceiling. Kise was right. Kasamatsu did hit him a lot. "Sorry," he said.

"Huh?"

"You were right about the hitting," Kasamatsu said quietly. "I can't believe I've been the bullying senpai all along, but you made me realize it. I'll try to stop that."

"No--" Kise stood suddenly, planting his hands on the table as he leaned towards Kasamatsu. "I didn't mean it that way."

Kasamatsu stared into Kise's eyes. What in the world?

Then he remembered where they were. He didn't want to know if others were staring. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Sit down and finish your food. We'll talk near my house."

* * *

There were times when Kasamatsu hated that Tokyo never got cold enough to snow more than an inch or two, or that the snow never stayed for long. Then there were times when Kasamatsu wished Tokyo was a slightly less temperate place with warmer winter nights. 

Kise had quietly followed Kasamatsu home, dropped his bag next to Kasamatsu's in the genkan, greeted Kasamatsu's mother politely, and waited while Kasamatsu grabbed his basketball. His mother had made a protest about the temperature and made them take jackets. Kise was wearing Kasamatsu's spare Kaijou pullover from last year. It was a little short on him, but it turned out that even though Kise was much taller than Kasamatsu, his pullover fit just right.

The court near Kasamatsu's house was empty as expected. "It's too cold to play for real, so let's just shoot some hoops. No pressure." Kasamatsu dribbled slowly. "Tell me what's on your mind." He passed the ball to Kise.

Kise dribbled a moment, then shot a basket, running up to get the ball back smoothly, and dribbling back towards Kasamatsu. "Like I said, I wasn't saying you were bullying me." Bounce, bounce, bounce. "Just, you know." Bounce, bounce, bounce, swish.

Kasamatsu grabbed the ball. "Just that you're the only one I hit. I said I was sorry." Bounce, swish.

"What I'm trying to say is, if it's Kasamatsu-senpai, it's okay." Bounce, bounce, bounce. "What you do, that's not bullying." Bounce, bounce, bounce, bounce. "That's a senpai guiding a kouhai." Bounce, bounce. "It's okay." Bounce, bounce, bounce, bounce. 

Kasamatsu waited patiently, watching Kise dribble.

"Dammit." Bounce, bounce, and then Kise straightened. "Like I said. It's okay because it's you." Swish.

Kasamatsu grabbed the ball and dribbled, trying to make sense of Kise. "So you don't mind me hitting you because I'm the one doing it." Bounce, bounce, bounce. "I don't understand." Swish.

"Well..." Bounce, bounce. "I wouldn't be okay with Nakamura-senpai or anyone else doing that to me." Swish.

"They're your senpai too." Bounce, bounce. "It's also their job to guide their kouhai." Swish.

"They're senpai, but... it's kind of different." Bounce, bounce, bounce. "You're my captain." Bounce, bounce, bounce. "Even when someone else is captain." Bounce, bounce, bounce, bounce, bounce.

"What does that even mean?" Kasamatsu asked.

Kise kept dribbling. "It's not your turn yet, senpai. I've still got the ball." 

Dammit! "Fine," Kasamatsu said. "Hurry up."

Kise continued to dribble, moving backwards slowly. "Like I said." Bounce, bounce, bounce. "You're always going to be my captain." Feet behind the three-point line, bounce, bounce. "Always." Swish.

Kasamatsu stared at Kise for a moment, then remembered the ball. He dribbled slowly. What on earth was Kise getting at? He passed the ball to Kise and stayed under the net.

"I guess it's all up to me, huh? But I've said pretty much all I can say at this point." Kise dribbled, then drove towards the basket, smoothly doing a lay-up. 

The ball fell between them, and Kasamatsu grabbed it, pushing it towards Kise again. "Is this about me telling you to stop calling me Captain earlier? Because if it is, you never called me that before, and there's no reason you should start now after I've retired."

"Geez, it's not just about _calling_ you Captain." Kise shoved the ball back into Kasamatsu's hands. "You're Kaijou's Kasamatsu Yukio." Shove. "I'm Kaijou's Kise Ryouta." Shove. "Even though you weren't my first captain, and even though Nakamura-senpai holds the title now, you'll always be _my_ captain. And I'm always going to be _your_ ace." Kise shoved so hard Kasamatsu stumbled backwards. " _Always._ "

What kind of stupid declaration was that? Kasamatsu flushed, dribbling back onto the court. "It's over, Kise. I had my chance, but we didn't win. It's someone else's turn now." Dribble, feet behind the three-point line, aim, swish. "Whether I like it or not, that's it for me."

Kise picked up the ball and threw it at Kasamatsu's head. 

Years of having a hyper-sensitive awareness of where the ball was on the court meant Kasamatsu managed to grab it, mere centimeters away from his face. "Dammit, Kise," he shouted. 

"No, damn _you_ , senpai," Kise shouted back. "It's not over. Stop acting like it is."

"What part of 'I'm graduating' and 'third-years retire after the Winter Cup' don't you understand?" Kasamatsu shouted, throwing--no longer passing--the ball at Kise. 

"Just because you aren't starting, just because you passed on the position to someone else..." Kise drove the ball up to Kasamatsu, circled around him, and stopped, dribbling in front of Kasamatsu. "It doesn't mean you aren't still part of Kaijou's team. Even after you graduate, you're still part of the team." 

"Dammit--" Kasamatsu grabbed for the ball.

Kise dodged him easily. "Thought you said we were just shooting some hoops."

Kasamatsu glared at Kise, who returned Kasamatsu's gaze. Those weren't the eyes of a respectful kouhai. Kise looked away, still dribbling; Kasamatsu didn't bother trying to steal. 

"Anyway," Kise said. "A cup's always just going to be a cup. A team's not a team without the people who play on it." Swish.

His kouhai was going to drive Kasamatsu nuts one day. "You enunciate, but you're just as hard to understand as Hayakawa. At least I can guess at what Hayakawa's trying to say." Swish.

"Isn't that what it means to be part of Kaijou's basketball? Play for the team, rely on your teammates, trust in the team. We're all in this _together_." Kise dribbled from one hand to the other and back again. "You brought us here, you dragged us here, you made sure we got to where we are." Bounce, bounce. 

"Just. Say. It."

"Guess the ball's no longer the right to speak, huh?" Kise sighed and shook his head. "I'm saying, you led us all this time, and now you're just going to walk away like that?"

Their eyes met. 

Kise turned and shot. 

Swish.

"Well, I've said all I can." Kise took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Sorry, senpai, but I need to get home." He turned, heading back towards Kasamatsu's house, unzipping the borrowed pullover as he went, leaving Kasamatsu and the ball behind on the court.

* * *

The next week, Kasamatsu went to watch basketball practice for the first time since he'd handed the captaincy over. Even from outside the gym, he could hear girls cheering and squealing inside. Well, Kise was allowed back in practice now, so that sounded about right. 

He shuddered at the clump of girls near the gym entrance and slipped past them as quickly as possible. Thankfully, no one stopped him. Upstairs was a good place to watch from, and it wouldn't disrupt practice. Kaijou had new starters now and Kasamatsu approved of the new line-up. Nakamura was doing well. Kise was pulling his own weight. Hayakawa was yelling incoherently just like Hayakawa always did. 

The club was doing fine. Kasamatsu sighed. He'd been worried after that one-on-one conversation with Kise, but it looked like things were running smoothly without him. 

"Look, Kasamatsu-senpai's back!"

Kasamatsu blinked, and then realized everyone below had stopped practice. Nakamura waved at him. "Captain, would you mind joining us?"

"Ex-captain, dammit," Kasamatsu shouted. "Nakamura, what the hell?" 

Nakamura grinned and beckoned again.

There was nothing for it; Kasamatsu had to go down now. He stormed towards Nakamura. "I told you. You're the captain now."

"I can't help it," Nakamura said, gesturing towards the club members behind him. "We were talking about it the other day, and in everyone's mind, you're still our captain. In my mind too. Maybe the freshmen next year won't think so, but all of us, assembled here now..."

Someone snapped their fingers and the club members suddenly stood at attention and saluted.

"You're always going to be our captain," Nakamura said, saluting too. 

"Best Four!" someone yelled. 

"Best result!" someone else said.

"Best team ever!" That last one was recognizably Kise. 

Kasamatsu glared, and then found he couldn't glare any more because his eyes were misting up. He turned away, pretending to scan the gym, willing the tears to subside. Deep breaths. Crying in front of the guys was unacceptable. He hadn't done so before, and he wasn't going to start now. Deep breaths. What kind of legacy was that, anyway? 

It took a moment for Kasamatsu to notice Kobori and Moriyama smirking in the corner. Kasamatsu glared at them. _It's hard enough for me without you guys dragging me into something like this._ Moriyama gave Kasamatsu an exaggerated thumbs up. Kobori just smiled and picked up a basketball.

Kise patted Kasamatsu on the back. "We missed you, senpai," Kise said quietly next to his ear. "Didn't you miss us too?"

"Geez, you guys," Kasamatsu said, pretending to hide his face in frustration, and taking the opportunity to hurriedly wipe off whatever treacherous traces of moisture there had been. "Can't even leave you guys alone, can I?" 

Kobori passed the ball to Kise. Kise grinned, and then began to dribble the ball. "Play with us, senpai."

Coach Takeuchi wasn't around. Kasamatsu glanced at Nakamura, who nodded. Kasamatsu sighed, nodded back, and then stole the ball from Kise. 

He had to laugh at the look on Kise's face. "Look who talks big," Kasamatsu said. "How the heck are you going to beat the rest of the Generation of Miracles next year if you let me steal the ball now? Nakamura, double the training next year!"

"Yes, sir!"

He was really going to miss these guys. Maybe it was okay to stick around until graduation. Maybe even after he'd joined the university team, he'd come watch practice on weekends when he didn't have class or practice of his own. He could even try and recruit a couple of them. They were good players, all of them. 

Kasamatsu threw a high pass over Kise's head and watched as Kise jumped higher than Kasamatsu had ever seen him jump, grabbing the ball in mid-air. Kise laughed and waggled a finger at Kasamatsu, then turned, driving for the other goal. 

"COUNTER!" someone yelled. "Fall back, fall back!" 

The members of the Kaijou basketball club cheered as the battle on the court began in earnest.


End file.
